October 12, 2005

New Holy Entrails: Archangel of Afterbirth

All eleven tracks on this album are killer, but a few really stand out. For instance, Phil Meicox totally shreds on both Coffins of Mercy and Bloody Sodom. Also, Neelin Praier's double-bass action on Axes of Menace should leave no doubt that Holy Entrails can pound with the best of'em. But, so far, I haven't even mentioned the best of the album: Cole Catheter's vox is unbeatable (even puts Halford to shame); you've never heard anyone wail quite like he does on Black Night of Nazareth or growl like his vox on Necrophelia.

Lyrically, it's awesome too. The title track, Archangel of Afterbirth is about a fetus possessed by satan that is aborted during the second trimester of the mother's pregnancy. It's pulled out alive and it rips open the throat of the doctor who aborted him; the mother's entrails are used as a rope for him to shimmy his way back down to hell. I hear that during their tour, they're going to throw goat's intenstines out into the audience (FU*K YEAH!) to simulate the mother's womb and guts.

October 10, 2005

Happy Columbus Day!

What an interesting fellow. Against all available evidence, he argues before the queen of Spain that the earth is only about 1/3rd the size that it really is, and that he can sail around it to reach India. She's so persuaded that she sells her jewels to finance his expedition. And Christophorus (literally, the Christ seeker) Columbus becomes the most famous lost man in history who wouldn't ask for directions.

October 09, 2005

Queensryche Concert Review

I just read a review of a Queensryche concert which contained the following:

The show got political at times....

When ever we heard the line "Sign of the times" Geoff would motion toward the screen and we would see rows of military caskets draped with the American flag, and shots of war, bombs exploding, dead bodies, and so on....

"Will someone please let me know if we have spun out of control" - again caskets and war scenes : "Has our captain let go of the wheel" - A shot of George Bush at the Presidential Podium with a confused look on his face....

It figures. I've always felt a strong socialist, even communist, vibe from Queensryche which has always made me feel a bit uneasy when listening to their music (not an uncommon experience when listening to Seattle bands). Mostly, I've just dismissed it as unimportant (pre-9/11, I tended to dismiss political positions contrary to my own as ultimately being benign) and have been able to enjoy them. But this has ended it for me. The best analogy I've been able to come up with to express my feelings on the issue is this: it's like going into a restaurant's lavatory to wash your hands before dinner, and seeing the chef (cook, whoever) emerge from the crapping stall and exit the bathroom to the kitchen without washing his hands. No matter what could show up on your plate, your ability to enjoy it would be fatally tainted. The only option left would be to skip the meal and dine elsewhere.

As for Queensryche, I hope they and Cindy Sheehan will be happy together.

October 04, 2005

The First Snow This Year

Goodbye Gas Guzzlers

WASHINGTON â€” John Mathews, who manages a Toyota dealership in San Antonio, has witnessed the day Detroit auto-industry executives said would never come.

"We are seeing people who are driving $40,000 Suburbans trading them in on $15,000 Corollas," said Mathews, whose Universal Toyota dealership competes in a state where big trucks and sport-utility vehicles rule the roads.

"The last 30 days have been unlike anything I've ever seen in the automotive industry," he said.